Improvement in griping devices for traction-cables for propelling cars and vehicles



C. A. GUSTA'FSON. GRIPPING DEVICES FOR TRACTION CABLES FOR PROPELLINGCARS AND VEHICLES No 195.504. Patented Sept.25.1877.

Wit nes ses I nventor cfmfi w I 5 gg N. PETERS, PHflTO-LITHOGRAPHERWASHINGTON u C PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES A GU$TAFSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDREW S.HALLIDIE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRIPING DEVICES FOR TRACTION-CABLES FOR PROPELLING CARSAND VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,504, datedSeptember 25, 1877; application filed July 2, 1877.

To a, whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GUSTAF- SON, ofthe city and county of San Francisco and State of California, haveinvented an improved Griping Device for Traction-Gables; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved griping devicefor connecting acar'or other vehicle with an endless moving rope or cable, which isarranged to travel in an underground tube or tunnel for propelling thecar orvehicle along a track or roadway.

My improved griper is operated by a lever; and it consists of a jaw,which forms a part of the frame-work of the griper, and two movablelever-jaws, which are operated by a vertically-moving slide and thelever above referred to. Pulleys are provided for sustaining the movingrope when the jaws release it, all as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view ofmy griper; Fig. 2, an elevation of the same, showing the plate F; andFig. 3, a section of the lever and handle.

A represents the frame-work of the griper, which has the upwardprojecting arms or prongs b b. These prongs serve as the shank whichmoves in the slot of the underground tube, and connects the car orvehicle with the operative parts of the griper. The frame A is madesemicircular in form, and moves in the tube with its convex sideuppermost. The arms or prongs b 12 project upward from this convex side,and their upper ends are attached at the opposite ends of a slot in thefloor of the car or dummy.

The fixed jaw G is attached to one side of the frame A, or may be simplyan enlargement, with a detachable shoe secured to its lower edge, whichforms the face of the jaw. In the present instance this jaw isrepresented as being secured to the side of the griper-frame by means ofa screw at each end, which passes through a vertical slot in the jaw, sothat by loosening the screw the jaw can be adjusted up or down. Thisarrangement is necessary when a wearing-face or detachable shoe is notused, in order to adjust the shoe as its permanent face wears away; butwhen the detachable shoe is used the jaw O is fixed. A plate, F. isfitted to move in a vertical recess in the frame underneath the jaw O,and it is long enough to extend both above and below the jaw. This slideis arranged to be raised or lowered by means of a lever, G. In thepresent instance I have represented the lever with its lower endbifurcated and formed with an arm or projection, h, on one side. Theupper end of the slide fits in the bifurcation of the lever, and a rivetor bolt. 0'. passes through the arm or projection and through ahorizontal slot, j, in the slide, while the lower end of the lever issecured to the jaw 0, on one side, and the frame on the other, so thatwhen the lever is moved back or forth the slide F is raised and lowered.

I employ two movable jaws, both of which are operated simultaneously bythe slide F and lever G, as follows: Each movable jaw consists of acurved or knee-shaped bar, K. One jaw is placed on each side of theslide, and has one end attached to the downwardprojecting end of thecurved frame, while its opposite end is attached to the slide. They areattached so that their convex sides are uppermost. The meeting ends ofthese jaws are re-enforced with an extra thickness of metal, the upperside of which is flattened, so that, when the jaws are drawn up againstthe permanent jaw by the slide and lever, they will fit against thelower edge of the stationary jaw, the journal at their opposite endsserving as centers about which they move. These movable jaws can also beprovided with detachable wearing-faces.

At the middle of each jaw-bar K, and on its outside, I attach apulley, 1. These pulleys will then stand opposite the jaws at the bend,so that, when the jaws are slightly lowered, the rope will be releasedfrom the gripe, and will rest upon the pulleys and travel upon them aslong as the jaws remain in this position. A slight movement of thelever, however, will close the jaws and gripe the rope permanentlybetween them.

On each of the downward-projecting portions of the frame, and in a linewith the center of the pulleys l, I construct a conical projection orincline, O, the base of which is against the frame, while the apexprojects out as far as the pulleys. When the rope is supported by thepulleys I, so as to move freely through the gripe, it does not touch thecones or inclines; but when the jaws are lowered far enough to drop thepulleys 1 below the center of the cones or inclines, the rope will bethrown oil by the inclines, so as to entirely free it from the jaws.Therefore, when it is desired to simply loosen the gripe of the jaws Imove the lever slightly, so as to separate the jaws and allow the ropeto travel on the pulleys; but when it is desired to drop the ropealtogether, I lower the jaws far enough to let the incline O throw itentirely free from the griper.

p is the horizontal rack against which the lever G moves. For greaterconvenience in handling this lever, 1 have devised a very simple devicefor operating the pawl which engages with the teeth of the rack.

To apply my pawl I make a mortise lengthwise through the lever-handle,which extends both below and above the rack. The pawl r is a thin plateof metal, which fits in the mortise, and has an arm, S, projectingupward on one side of the lever toward the lever-handle. This plate issecured by a rivet or bolt, t, near its upper end, so that by pressingthe arm S toward the lever the pawl-plate is drawn into the mortise; butby pushing the arm outward the edge of the plate is projected out of themortise, so as to engage with the teeth of the rack.

To operate this pawl I employ a rotary handle, U, which has acam-groove,V, in its lower end, into which the end of the arm S enters,so that by a partial rotation of this handle the pawl is drawn in orprojected out of the mortise, as desired. This rotary handle may be asimple sleeve which fits over the ordinary handle, as represented.

This device is quite simple and convenient, as it requires but a slightrotary movement to operate the pawl, and the entire operation is done inone movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. The semicircular frame A, with its shank arms or prongs b, incombination with the jaw U and vertically-moving jaws K K, operated by aslide, F, and lever G, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The jaw 0, attached to a griper-frame, A, in combination with thecurved or knee-lever jaws K, with the pulleys Z, said arms being hingedat one end to the frameO, while their opposite ends are raised andlowered by a slide, F, and lever G, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The griper-t'rame A, provided with the attached jaw C, and having thehinged leverjaws K K, with their pulleys l, operated as described, incombination with the inclines or cones O, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

4. The pawl-plate 1', secured, by a bolt near its upper end, in amortise in the lever-handle, and provided with the arm S, in combinationwith the rotary handle U, with its camgroove V, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

0. A. GUSTAFSON. [L.s.j

Witnesses:

OLWYN T. STACY, FRANK A. BROOKS.

